It may seem rare that common ship handling and cargo loading operations result in major incidents. However, when such circumstances do arise, the financial and commercial consequences can be significant.
For example, TT Club was involved in an incident where a ship dragged its anchor after a winch malfunction had prevented it from being raised. The anchor was lost overboard, along with a large part of the anchor chain, rupturing a major underwater gas pipeline. A relatively minor equipment failure in rough weather, combined with poor ship handing, immediately created a critical situation with the potential for major environmental and social impacts, together with serious commercial implications for the port operator and the local community.
While TT Club is in a unique position to advise operators on the unfortunate consequences of a major port-related incident, by way of fifty years’ experience in handling liability claims and underwriting risk for the cargo handling sector, the reality is that prevention is without exception better than reacting after an incident. For these reasons TT Club, facilitated by ICHCA International, inaugurated its Innovation in Safety Award in 2016.
